Moving to Ottawa

[brownstein]

Can anyone recommend some nice neighbourhoods around the Shirley's Bay area?

Some criteria:
House ~$300,000
close to shopping
low crime area
private lots
newer houses (5 yrs old or newer preferred)
lower traffic area, for easier commuting

I have never been there and am just wondering if the people that live there could point out some of the better areas of ottawa, preferably within 20 min or so from Shirleys bay.

How is Ottawa as a place to live?

Thanks.

[Diamondog]

It's all about Barrhaven in Ottawa right now....hottest place to live! Gorgeous area's...I am in Stonebridge

[go leafs]

brookside in Kanata could be good if you are looking for new homes ... very close to shirley's bay
http://mybrookside.ca/

not so good if you are looking for more of an urban feel, or want to access good transit and the downtown. for a bit more urban I would choose areas along wellington/richmond/carling axis (but avoid the area around bayshore) - but for that price in many west ottawa places you'd probably get a newly renovated rather than new home, if even that. (edit: for the urban prices, I was assuming SF home)

[hightechfan]

Can anyone recommend some nice neighbourhoods around the Shirley's Bay area?

Some criteria:
House ~$300,000
close to shopping
low crime area
private lots
newer houses (5 yrs old or newer preferred)
lower traffic area, for easier commuting

I have never been there and am just wondering if the people that live there could point out some of the better areas of ottawa, preferably within 20 min or so from Shirleys bay.

How is Ottawa as a place to live?

Thanks.


Barrhevan has some major crime issues right now.If i were you i would go to kanata.

[go leafs]

^ booster! lol

[brownstein]

Thanks guys,
It is a single family home we would be looking for.
I guess a better question might be which areas to avoid?
we will most likely be looking for ~$3-350,000 now.
Transit will not necessarily be an issue for us.

[Diamondog]

Avoid Kanata like the plague! There are some undesirable types out there :D

[Anteros]

The three "big" building areas in Ottawa seem to be Kanata, Barrhaven and Orleans. Most of the major builders are building in at least one of these areas. I don't think you can go wrong in either of these areas.

You can buy a single family house in any of these areas in your price range.

Some of the builders are:
http://www.mintohomes.com
http://www.richcraft.com
http://www.tamarackhomes.com
http://www.urbandale.com
http://www.mattamyhomes.com
http://www.monarchgroup.net

(Note, I'm not saying that all of these are great quality, I'm just listing them off)

You can also check out MLS, of course, and http://www.grapevine.on.ca for resale homes.

The only place I know to avoid is Vanier.

[impronto]

-barrhaven if you like airplanes going overhead every 20 minutes
-kanata if you like power outages every 2 weeks, seriously

-nice places are ottawa west/nepean, but not too west, like kanata

[hightechfan]

Avoid Kanata like the plague! There are some undesirable types out there :D

I would take kanata over barrheven in a heart beat.

[Edgeware]

Barrhevan has some major crime issues right now.If i were you i would go to kanata.

Biggest crime happening in Barrhaven is jaywalking...I saw the 80 year old perpetrator myself with my own eyes :D

[hightechfan]

Biggest crime happening in Barrhaven is jaywalking...I saw the 80 year old perpetrator myself with my own eyes :D

No the biggest crom is gang related.Such as swarming etc.Yes there is a very very small part of barrheven that is safe.Just check the ottawa police web site 50% of all crime in ottawa happens in barrheaven.Now that could change with the more $$$ houses beeing built forcing out they low renters and so on.

[Edgeware]

No the biggest crom is gang related.Such as swarming etc.Yes there is a very very small part of barrheven that is safe.Just check the ottawa police web site 50% of all crime in ottawa happens in barrheaven.Now that could change with the more $$$ houses beeing built forcing out they low renters and so on.

:D I just realized what day it is...

[Diamondog]

-barrhaven if you like airplanes going overhead every 20 minutes
-kanata if you like power outages every 2 weeks, seriously

-nice places are ottawa west/nepean, but not too west, like kanata

There'a airplanes out here? I never knew that.

[Diamondog]

I would take kanata over barrheven in a heart beat.

Of course you would...Kanata can have ya! :cheesygri But seriously if you want the price of your house to go through the roof especially with the RCMP headquarters moving here buy in Barrhaven don't settle for mediocore.

[3weddings]

What about Stittsville? Most of our friends that moved from here 'back' to GOA, moved there.
Financially they were lateral moves, however the homes they built were indeed a step up!

DH looked at a home in Dunrobin last week....he really liked the area!
http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=&SearchURL=%3fPage%3d4%26Mode%3d0%26vs%3d1%26rlt%3d %26cp%3d%26pt%3d1%26mp%3d550000-0-0%26mrt%3d-1-0-0%26Beds%3d3-0%26Baths%3d0-0%26f%3d%26ft%3dall%26o%3dA%26of%3d1%26ps%3d10%26p tgid%3d1%26aid%3d2862%26MapURL%3d%253fAreaID%253d2 862&Mode=0&PropertyID=5591520

Oh goodie...it's dropped $20k!! :D

[mart242]

Used homes:
the townhomes in Village Green (Kanata) are really nice (that's where I am now). Corner of Campeau drive & March road (west of that). 5 Minutes from Shirley's Bay.

If you have a family, Stittsville might be what you are looking for. ~15 - 20 minutes from Shirley's bay. Barrhaven is getting way too big (70,000) so you end up with the typical problems of a city: teenagers that don't know what to do and end up vandalizing property, more theft, ...

[brownstein]

Why does it seem like everyone rents Hot water heaters in Ontario? Are they really expensive there for some reason?
My new one was like $250 at Canadian Tire.

[mart242]

Why does it seem like everyone rents Hot water heaters in Ontario? Are they really expensive there for some reason?
My new one was like $250 at Canadian Tire.

I think that it's because most people get scammed without having a choice when they buy a new house. The builders receives a kickback from the rental company for installing one of their heaters so they go that route instead of installing their own..

[kanatatech]

Airplane noise is an issue in Barrhaven as is pig manure smell. Kanata doesn't have these problems unless your close to Carp mountain trash dump and its small airport.

Kanata suffers from Hwy417 traffic during NHL hockey and concerts. It takes 30 minutes to drive from Shirleys Bay to Orleans on a weekend or 45 minutes on a typical rush hour at 8am and 5:30pm.

Not aware of any poor areas in Kanata - perhaps Glen Cain as its older homes that are mostly semi's. Kanata is english while Orleans has a bilingual flavour. Kanata crime stats are published in the local paper which is available electonically.

Kanata north of the 417 is dry stable ground and you won't find homes with sump pumps. The Ottawa river does spill its banks and can smell if your looking at homes on Grandview. Shirleys Bay itself is remote.

[zegerman]

Depends where in Barrhaven. If you live more towards Woodroffe Rd then yes airplanes can drive you bonkers. Closer to Greenbank (i.e.home depot & Cdn Tire area) there are hardly any planes at all to even warrant mentioning. Manure smell? not that I can smell :razz:

[Bordello]

Airplanes flying overhead should not be a problem at all. I live in the Hunt Club/Riverside right under the flight path of most planes area and the noise generated is pretty minimal.

I have no idea where Shirley's Bay is, so I can't offer any input.

[Diamondog]

Airplane noise is an issue in Barrhaven as is pig manure smell. Kanata doesn't have these problems unless your close to Carp mountain trash dump and its small airport.

Kanata suffers from Hwy417 traffic during NHL hockey and concerts. It takes 30 minutes to drive from Shirleys Bay to Orleans on a weekend or 45 minutes on a typical rush hour at 8am and 5:30pm.

Not aware of any poor areas in Kanata - perhaps Glen Cain as its older homes that are mostly semi's. Kanata is english while Orleans has a bilingual flavour. Kanata crime stats are published in the local paper which is available electonically.

Kanata north of the 417 is dry stable ground and you won't find homes with sump pumps. The Ottawa river does spill its banks and can smell if your looking at homes on Grandview. Shirleys Bay itself is remote.

I think a very big issue Kanata residents and future residents will be concerned with is this Waste To Energy program being looked at for the Carp dump where they plan to install an incinerator type device to burn garbage for energy at high heat causing garbage burning emissions to float right into Kanata. Yikes! Wonder how that will impact the housing market..ouch

[Jayme_Reid]

I think a very big issue Kanata residents and future residents will be concerned with is this Waste To Energy program being looked at for the Carp dump where they plan to install an incinerator type device to burn garbage for energy at high heat causing garbage burning emissions to float right into Kanata. Yikes! Wonder how that will impact the housing market..ouch

If they do go this route it will not effect the housing market at all.There is no smell at all.However if they do not go this route it could effect the market in a big way.THe dump in the east end is another story there are now looking at making it 4 times as big.

[cdnNick]

Tons of new houses in the Kanata area that are in your price range. You have Morgans Grant right near tons of tech companies, which might be good depending on your job. Bridlewood (where I live) has tons of park space, football/soccer fields, bunch of school and shopping is really close.

When I was looking for a house I didn't think Stittsville was that great of a buy it wasn't much less then the houses we were looking at and it's a little bit further outside of the city.

[rubberband]

Kanata/Far-Haven/Etc = suburban sprawl hell.

I already hate having to work out here. I wouldn't want to live out here - bleah!

Live closer to the city's core. When you're at home you'll enjoy being able to do things that don't involve strip malls and... strip malls.

[Diamondog]

Kanata/Far-Haven/Etc = suburban sprawl hell.

I already hate having to work out here. I wouldn't want to live out here - bleah!

Live closer to the city's core. When you're at home you'll enjoy being able to do things that don't involve strip malls and... strip malls.

LOL thats rich!

[Diamondog]

If they do go this route it will not effect the housing market at all.There is no smell at all.However if they do not go this route it could effect the market in a big way.THe dump in the east end is another story there are now looking at making it 4 times as big.

Carbon monoxide is odorless too is it good to breath? No....I wasn't talking about smell....sure it may not smell but what about the toxins.....it is a HUGE issue

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=0d4527d0-6937-4426-9814-9b66205622fd&k=6111&p=2

It's an energy group headed by Rod Bryden so it's doomed to fail!

[Pete_Coach]

Carbon monoxide is odorless too is it good to breath? No....I wasn't talking about smell....sure it may not smell but what about the toxins.....it is a HUGE issue

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=0d4527d0-6937-4426-9814-9b66205622fd&k=6111&p=2

It's an energy group headed by Rod Bryden so it's doomed to fail!
It's not doomed to fail, he'll just come on TV, shed a tear and, ask all Ottawans to support his cause or he will pull the team (oh sorry, I mean the plant) out of the city to where someone will appreciate his efforts. LOL

[kanatatech]

While Kanata may get a nearby dump expansion and fancy new incineration,
Barrhaven already has a bigger dump, incineration, and toxic waste site. The Carp dump gets tall the headlines however as its visible from the 417. Unlikely the rich folks in the burbs will tolerate toxic clouds, not to mention its the nations capital and federal politics likes to meddle with city works.

[djjosee]

Airplanes flying overhead should not be a problem at all. I live in the Hunt Club/Riverside right under the flight path of most planes area and the noise generated is pretty minimal.

I have no idea where Shirley's Bay is, so I can't offer any input.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Ottawa,+ON,+Canada&layer=&ie=UTF8&safe=on&z=13&ll=45.372288,-75.886173&spn=0.058005,0.172005&om=1

OP, depends what you like and why you want to be close to Shirley's Bay. If you like to live in a natural environment try Dunrobin. If you need to socialize with other human beings and don't mind having your neighbor 4 feet try Kanata.

[brownstein]

Thanks for all the replies guys.
We are leaning towards Kanata, but that may all change once we get out there to have a look.

Thanks for all the links that were posted as well, very helpful. I doubt we will build as it would be impossible for us to oversee the whole operation. That is something I would want to be a part of to make sure corners weren't cut etc. We had a bad experience with a contractor out here so unfortunately it is no more Mr. Niceguy when it comes to anything to do with the house.

Now we will just have to sell our house as soon as we find out that we are for sure going.

[canabiz]

Just bought a house in Barrhaven yesterday

RCMP is moving its HQ here in a couple of years, T&T Chinese Supermarket is slated to open soon...keeping my fingers crossed that resale value will be OK in a couple of years, it's all about the Benjamins my friend

Only 1 *real* way to get to downtown if you live in Kanata (417), well you can get through the inside streets via HuntClub and Richmond but I digress. Stittsville is too far for us and there's the Carp Dump that i haven't even touched

The other side of town is Orleans, no real opinion there other than it's closer to MTL than Toronto ;-)

[alysomji]

Find out where you'll be working first. If it's in the Greenbelt / Central Ottawa, you'll have to consider commuting issues. For instance, parking is very difficult downtown but neither Kanata nor Barrhaven have public transportation to Central Ottawa - only Orleans does (park and ride).

West, but not out as far as Kanata, is probably the best area to live - but also can be quite expensive. Take a look at South Keys, too.

[Anteros]

Find out where you'll be working first. If it's in the Greenbelt / Central Ottawa, you'll have to consider commuting issues. For instance, parking is very difficult downtown but neither Kanata nor Barrhaven have public transportation to Central Ottawa - only Orleans does (park and ride).

There is indeed public transportation from Kanata to Central Ottawa. There's a park and ride on the corner of 417/Eagleson. There are also some rush hour buses which do the trek. Not sure if there's a bus that goes directly downtown, but it's definitely doable with transfers.

[William W]

T&T Chinese Supermarket is slated to open soon...

I know I'm going alittle bit off topic, do you know where it is at? I'm really surprise that they will be opening one in Ottawa.

[canabiz]

I know I'm going alittle bit off topic, do you know where it is at? I'm really surprise that they will be opening one in Ottawa.

That's what I heard from my mortgage broker who has significant dealings with Chinese businesspeople, both here and in Toronto

As for the location, I can't really pinpoint the exact area but he told me it will be in Barrhaven. Perhaps with the opening of T&T, we will see an influx of Asians in that area ? akin to Markham outside Toronto ? I don't know if that's a good or bad thing but I can only hope my house will go up in value, that's all it really matters to me...the rest is just details.

Cheers!

[stugots]

The transit service Kanata - downtown is really good, I have lived in Orleans and Kanata and I prefer Kanata (Driving downtown from Orleans is crazy). the downside for public transit in Kanata is that there is no transitway between Moodie and Pinecrest but the drivers always find ways around it. (The city will start to build it later this year http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/west_transitway/index_en.html)

Here is a link to OCTranspo's map


http://octranspo.com/mapscheds/Transitway/tway_map_menuE.htm

[Diamondog]

Find out where you'll be working first. If it's in the Greenbelt / Central Ottawa, you'll have to consider commuting issues. For instance, parking is very difficult downtown but neither Kanata nor Barrhaven have public transportation to Central Ottawa - only Orleans does (park and ride).

West, but not out as far as Kanata, is probably the best area to live - but also can be quite expensive. Take a look at South Keys, too.

There are buses in Barrhaven

[swmtam]

Hmm...I hope that they find a good location for it with lots of parking. If not, traffic could be a pain. Parking and traffic for T&Ts in TO are worst than Costco on weekends. On the other hand, it's always good to get additional options for groceries and foods.


That's what I heard from my mortgage broker who has significant dealings with Chinese businesspeople, both here and in Toronto

As for the location, I can't really pinpoint the exact area but he told me it will be in Barrhaven. Perhaps with the opening of T&T, we will see an influx of Asians in that area ? akin to Markham outside Toronto ? I don't know if that's a good or bad thing but I can only hope my house will go up in value, that's all it really matters to me...the rest is just details.

Cheers!

[WildPegasus]

As for the location, I can't really pinpoint the exact area but he told me it will be in Barrhaven.

The logical spot would be at the old SuperC/Loeb on Fallowfield. Unless they're building a brand new store. In that case the only logical location would be on Strandherd towards the 416.

From:
http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0905/retail_ethnic_canada.php

Nonetheless, future T&T units will follow concentrations of Asian population in Canada’s larger cities, with the Toronto area being a main focus (Choi envisions eight or more stores there), followed by Ottawa and possibly Montréal.

[Blaz]

I've been reading this thread, and would offer an opinion. Barfhaven and Kanatravel are suburban living hell (the former rather than the latter, as I'm biased in favour of Kanata). Barrhaven is growing at a breakneck speed which makes zero sense given the growth of this city's pop does not necessitate the new housing going up.

I can't believe some people on this thread not thinking there's pub transit from Kanata or Barrhaven. Utterly ridiculous.

As for Shirley's Bay, Kanata is the natural choice due to proximity, lack of travel (always a good thing). Barrhaven makes no sense - though I laughed at the 80 yr old crossing the street crack. There's suburban thugs in all suburbs, so those saying there are high crime rates in either of these burbs are just being ridiculous.

As Shirley's is right in Nepean, why not look there? Why look into the burbs (though Nepean is a burb - it's not direstraits suburban sprawl hell but is developed). There are some great Nepean areas close to everything, including transit. Gentrification in many of these areas is spreading, and from a living/investment perspective, would be ideal. Re-sale home market is heating up for the season - stay away from new-build and make something out of an existing great nabe for the same price.

haha...barrhaven. Is there a new Best Buy going in there soon? If so, ignore what I've just said above. (parting shot)

[sailormoon]

Kanata is a place where most of the hi-tech works live. Do you know the sale on Costco's opening day. I heard it was $700K close to a million. Every time I passed by Costco Kanata, their parking lot is full.

Kanata and Stittsville are growing. The house price has a very good increase value.

[deuce1974]

I lived in Riverside south for 6 years before moving back to the GTA, Now I wish I never left, Riverside South has a small community feel to it, and while near the airport, the flight pattern they take you hardly hear any planes, I think we heard maybe a half dozen a day at the most.

[testinz]

Barrhaven has a new park and ride and also has a fast transit way system (#95) directly to downtown. OCTranspo's also planning to add buses to go from Barrhaven to Kanata without having to through Baseline station and/or Lincoln Field.

I think the old SuperC is too small for the T&T market. Hopefully they will open one close to RCMP building :)

[WildPegasus]

I think the old SuperC is too small for the T&T market. Hopefully they will open one close to RCMP building :)

The SuperC site is over 30,000 square feet and T&T's stores range in size from 21,000 to 65,000 square feet.

There's little chance of it being built near the RCMP building. All the land near there is zoned for commercial, not retail.

[William W]

The SuperC site is over 30,000 square feet and T&T's stores range in size from 21,000 to 65,000 square feet.

There's little chance of it being built near the RCMP building. All the land near there is zoned for commercial, not retail.

OK, I'm not doubting anyone here, but if I were T&T I will seriously question in opening up a store here in Ottawa, especially looking at how the other Asian Grocer is doing here.

Case in point. Uni Super Market in Vanier, it was open with much fan fare, however, business is pretty slow whenever I goes there. And probably because of increase competition, I don't think business is as brisk as they were for the ones in Chinatown.

[ebizimage]

Barrhevan has some major crime issues right now.If i were you i would go to kanata.

I prefer Kanata too, but I won't trust too much on the crime stats. In the past, I had tried to report a robbery in Bayshore shopping mall to the Ottawa police, and they just kept me waiting on the line for an hour until I gave up. Tried to call 3 times and kept repeating the story again and again, but no one really processed the report. I guess that's how they lower the crime rate in some regions.

Kanata is a nice place with lots of recreation facilities. Good for kids and young familes. Schools are generally nice too. People around are usually nice with smiling faces. Plenty of shopping places here.

[marklin]

Shirley's Bay? what's good about it? what's to see and/or do there? I live in Morgan's Grant and the bay is just 3 min. away! maybe I should drive by to check it out one of these days... :cheesygri

[WildPegasus]

OK, I'm not doubting anyone here, but if I were T&T I will seriously question in opening up a store here in Ottawa, especially looking at how the other Asian Grocer is doing here.

Case in point. Uni Super Market in Vanier, it was open with much fan fare, however, business is pretty slow whenever I goes there. And probably because of increase competition, I don't think business is as brisk as they were for the ones in Chinatown.

Earlier in this thread I posted a link where T&T stated that they were building a store in Ottawa.

I've never heard of Uni but I doubt it has the cachet that T&T has. By building in Barrhaven, T&T could singlehandedly significantly increase the proportion of Asians in the community.

Considering Barrhaven is the fastest growing community in Ottawa, it's not surprising that T&T would want to locate there.

[canabiz]

Earlier in this thread I posted a link where T&T stated that they were building a store in Ottawa.

I've never heard of Uni but I doubt it has the cachet that T&T has. By building in Barrhaven, T&T could singlehandedly significantly increase the proportion of Asians in the community.

Considering Barrhaven is the fastest growing community in Ottawa, it's not surprising that T&T would want to locate there.

Does anyone know if T&T cater exclusively to the Chinese communities or does it carry other Asian countries food as well ?

I am talking about food as varied as the South Asians (Pakistani/Indian) to the North Asian (Korean/Japanese) and all points in between like Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese etc)

We have been shopping for Korean food at Arum (Catherine/Bank) and Green Market (Rideau) and I would welcome additional stores and competitions.

Cheers

[William W]

T&T could singlehandedly significantly increase the proportion of Asians in the community.


Hmm... I'm Asian, and will I consider moving to an area just because it is close to an Asian groccer????? May be I'm the non typical Asian, the reason why I choose where I live is due to the neighborhood, proximity to work, public transit, as well as the schools in the area. Proximity to shopping has never entered into the equation.

Like I said, I have never doubt the authenticity of what others have said about T&T "may" open up a store in Ottawa. I just said if I were T&T, I will not do it as the asian population may not be sufficient in justifying opening up a store here. Though I can be wrong on that.

[Cas77]

Shirley's Bay? what's good about it? what's to see and/or do there? I live in Morgan's Grant and the bay is just 3 min. away! maybe I should drive by to check it out one of these days... :cheesygri

:confused:

Shirley's bay is a military and telecommunications research campus. The OP is likely getting transferred and will be working there.

[ebizimage]

T&T could singlehandedly significantly increase the proportion of Asians in the community.

You probably won't need a big Asian grocer to do daily grocer shopping. There are quite a few small Asian grocers in Kanata too. You probably only need to drive to the big store once every two weeks or so.

However, Superstore in Bridlewood carries quite many Asian grocer items too. Loblaws in Kanata Lakes also have good selection of organic products for the kids. Shoppers in Kanata Lakes also carries quality fresh organic food for infants and young children.

Morgan's Grant - Saw a sign there last year that you can pay to do computerized radon gas testing now. Years ago people said you can't stay in the basement of the houses in MG, so that's why the house price in that area hasn't increased too significantly, but you can get quite a decent big house (like 3 garages) in MG with affordable budget.

Shirley's Bay or Briarbrook- is just across the street from MG, not sure if there's same issue, but it's still more like a construction site now.

Bridlewood - is in Kanata south. A bit far from high tech area, but there are "many" schools in that neighbourhood. Quite many houses are close to the high voltage power line. A mixture of older neighbourhood and new construction.

Emerald Meadow - close to Bridlewood, but mainly new construction.

Kanata Lakes - is welknown for the golf course view lots, and it's convenient for shopping, pubs, and movies.

Heritage Hill - sometimes this is referred to Kanata Lakes as well, but it's on the side in Kanata Lakes where there's no golf course but parks.

Glen Cairns - older neighbourhood. Many street malls and smaller grocers.

Katimavik - older neighbourhood but they have the highest ranking school there. Houses are quite affordable.

Beaverbrook - older neighbourhood close to Kanata Lakes. They had an award in neighourhood planning before. Many trees and parks, but quite many rental areas too.

Village Green - small neighbourhood along Campeau drive. Close to Kanata Lakes. Many new terrace homes there.

[WildPegasus]

Hmm... I'm Asian, and will I consider moving to an area just because it is close to an Asian groccer????? May be I'm the non typical Asian, the reason why I choose where I live is due to the neighborhood, proximity to work, public transit, as well as the schools in the area. Proximity to shopping has never entered into the equation.

How about this example. You work downtown and want to buy a new house. Do you choose Barrhaven, Kanata or Orleans? The neighbourhoods, proximity to downtown and public transit are pretty similiar. What becomes the deciding factor then?

For myself, I'd rather live in Barrhaven then Riverside South since there are WAY more shopping options available to me in Barrhaven. And if all things were equal, I'd buy a house in an area with a Farm Boy before an area without one.

And it's not just T&T that would make you choose an area. I would assume that other Asian businesses would cluster around T&T to take advantage of T&T's Asian clientele.

Like I said, I have never doubt the authenticity of what others have said about T&T "may" open up a store in Ottawa. I just said if I were T&T, I will not do it as the asian population may not be sufficient in justifying opening up a store here. Though I can be wrong on that.

But do you think it would be only Asians shopping at T&T? I'm not Asian and I'd shop there.

Does a city like Edmonton have a significantly higher Asian population then Ottawa? If Calgary can support 2 T&T's couldn't Ottawa support 1?

[WildPegasus]

You probably won't need a big Asian grocer to do daily grocer shopping. There are quite a few small Asian grocers in Kanata too. You probably only need to drive to the big store once every two weeks or so.

Besides the one on Hazeldean beside the Goodlife what other ones are there in Kanata?

And in Barrhaven there is only one Asian grocer, the Fillipino-run City Grocery that's smaller then a Mac's Milk.

[ebizimage]

Besides the one on Hazeldean beside the Goodlife what other ones are there in Kanata?

And in Barrhaven there is only one Asian grocer, the Fillipino-run City Grocery that's smaller then a Mac's Milk.

There's another small grocer on Carling close to Wendy's where you can get vietnamese subs. There is an East Asian market in Village green where you can buy butter chicken. There are others that I drove by and saw the signage, but haven't been to.

[marklin]

:confused:

Shirley's bay is a military and telecommunications research campus. The OP is likely getting transferred and will be working there.

Ah, thanks for clarifying... I've always thought it's something like Mooney's Bay, an attraction.. :D

[Kranberry]

I may or may not be moving to Ottawa too, depends if I get offered the job. If I do, I'd work near downtown Ottawa. Price range would be similar to OP, but definitely would need to be in an area that has easy access to transit and shops and what not. Does not necessarily need to be urban, but not too rural. Any suggestions for me? Asian supermarkets are a plus but not a necessity, and frankly, I'd rather not live in a primarily asian neighbourhood. Before everyone calls me racist, I'm asian... :P

And in terms of commute nightmares, I don't know if you can match the North South corridor of Toronto. Currently on average it takes me 45 mins to 1 hour 15 minutes to travel 18km. If the weather is bad (talking heavy rains) I've taken 1 hour 45 minutes to travel 18km. If weather is really bad, or some stuff happens like power outages, etc. It's taken me 3 hours to travel 18km. That is commuting hell.

[WildPegasus]

I may or may not be moving to Ottawa too, depends if I get offered the job. If I do, I'd work near downtown Ottawa. Price range would be similar to OP, but definitely would need to be in an area that has easy access to transit and shops and what not.

What kind of shops are you looking for?

Pretty much any urban or suburban spot in Ottawa will have access to transit.

I'd avoid Kanata in your case since the ride to downtown on OC Transpo is longer then the other suburbs.

Does not necessarily need to be urban, but not too rural.

If you want easy access to transit, you don't have to worry about rural areas.

Any suggestions for me? Asian supermarkets are a plus but not a necessity, and frankly, I'd rather not live in a primarily asian neighbourhood. Before everyone calls me racist, I'm asian... :P

Aside from Somerset Heights (Chinatown) you won't find neighbourhoods in Ottawa that are primarily Asian. There's no version of Markham in Ottawa.

With your price range it really depends on what kind of house you're looking for. The smaller the house, the closer you can be to downtown.

[Anteros]

And in terms of commute nightmares, I don't know if you can match the North South corridor of Toronto. Currently on average it takes me 45 mins to 1 hour 15 minutes to travel 18km. If the weather is bad (talking heavy rains) I've taken 1 hour 45 minutes to travel 18km. If weather is really bad, or some stuff happens like power outages, etc. It's taken me 3 hours to travel 18km. That is commuting hell.

If you're used to Toronto commuting, you won't bat an eyelash at commuting in Ottawa. It's no where near as bad in Ottawa as it is in the GTA during rush hour.

[Kranberry]

What kind of shops are you looking for?
Pretty much any urban or suburban spot in Ottawa will have access to transit.

Just the regular stuff. Supermarkets, maybe a strip mall within walking distance, regular mall within 5-10 minute drive.


I'd avoid Kanata in your case since the ride to downtown on OC Transpo is longer then the other suburbs.
If you want easy access to transit, you don't have to worry about rural areas.
Aside from Somerset Heights (Chinatown) you won't find neighbourhoods in Ottawa that are primarily Asian. There's no version of Markham in Ottawa.
With your price range it really depends on what kind of house you're looking for. The smaller the house, the closer you can be to downtown.

Doesn't matter as long as it is a house. The current house I'm in is a semi and it is small. So anything from that size up would be great. I'd just want a safe neighbourhood to raise a family that's all. This is also assuming I get the job, if I don't, I'll be stuck doing the stop and go traffic of Toronto for a while. Another good example was today, they closed one lane southbound near work for construction crew. Took me around 80 minutes to get to work today. Fun fun fun...so Kanata would still probably be a cake walk in terms of commute for me.

[marklin]

Just the regular stuff. Supermarkets, maybe a strip mall within walking distance, regular mall within 5-10 minute drive.



Doesn't matter as long as it is a house. The current house I'm in is a semi and it is small. So anything from that size up would be great. I'd just want a safe neighbourhood to raise a family that's all. This is also assuming I get the job, if I don't, I'll be stuck doing the stop and go traffic of Toronto for a while. Another good example was today, they closed one lane southbound near work for construction crew. Took me around 80 minutes to get to work today. Fun fun fun...so Kanata would still probably be a cake walk in terms of commute for me.

I commute between Kanata and downtown everyday, it takes me about 35-40 min. leaving at about 7:30AM. Takes a bit longer with express bus (about 50 min.). Kanata is not farther than Barrhaven or Orleans, and traffic is not worse coming from the west, it's all about the same going from any direction during rush hours...

And you won't regret moving to Ottawa according to THIS (http://www.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/list.jsp?pageID=list&type=city&listType=Attractions&year=2007&page=1&customView=&customCols=&content=)! :cheesygri

[WildPegasus]

I commute between Kanata and downtown everyday, it takes me about 35-40 min. leaving at about 7:30AM. Takes a bit longer with express bus (about 50 min.). Kanata is not farther than Barrhaven or Orleans, and traffic is not worse coming from the west, it's all about the same going from any direction during rush hours...

An express bus from Barrhaven takes 25 minutes while driving is about 5 minutes faster then Kanata. If there's a problem on the Queensway, commuting to and from Kanata can be brutal while Barrhaven has more routes to downtown.

[go leafs]

^ 417 is getting widened though

[WildPegasus]

^ 417 is getting widened though

Won't help if there's an accident in the morning at Parkdale.

[Cas77]

^ 417 is getting widened though

Over the next 10 years!!! Expect a commuting nightmare until 2016...this is at least 10 years overdue. Infrastructure has not kept up with population growth which brings us to where we are today. Once the widening is complete, expect to be at the same point we are today.

[canabiz]

Does anyone have more info on these 2 topics:

- Potential expansion for the dump at Trail Road

- When will the O-Train or light rail services come to Barrhaven ?

[Cas77]

Does anyone have more info on these 2 topics:

- Potential expansion for the dump at Trail Road
As it stands they will expand albeit a smaller expansion than anticipated and will be considering an incinerator instead of a large expansion. That's the latest...these things change daily.

- When will the O-Train or light rail services come to Barrhaven ?
LRT is dead for now.

[brownstein]

Alright back on topic, I just found out today that I will be moving to Ottawa this summer. First I have to sell my house and then I will be out there to look for a place.

So, can anyone vouch for a good real estate agent in the Ottawa area that I could get in touch with. I would prefer if people didn't recommend their friends and relatives. We have gotten burned by realtors in the past so I like to get a feel for who the good ones are first.

[brownstein]

Thought I would revive this thread, I have been living here in Ottawa away from my family until my house sells for the last 6 months or so and I am still looking for a good agent. Can anybody recommend someone with a lot of patience, not too pushy and is not afraid to show their appreciation when all is said and done?

Edit: Oh, and I would appreciate it if nobody hijacked this thread this time, and I could give a $h!t about the location of Asian grocery stores, thanks.

Also, if you can't think of any good ones, tell me about the bad ones - that would be just as helpful.

[WildPegasus]

As for the location, I can't really pinpoint the exact area but he told me it will be in Barrhaven. Perhaps with the opening of T&T, we will see an influx of Asians in that area ?

Right now T&T is the proposed anchor tenant for a new plaza at Hunt Club and Riverside.

[brownstein]

Right now T&T is the proposed anchor tenant for a new plaza at Hunt Club and Riverside.
OK, really now, please start another thread to talk about your grocery store.

[Pete_Coach]

Thought I would revive this thread, I have been living here in Ottawa away from my family until my house sells for the last 6 months or so and I am still looking for a good agent. Can anybody recommend someone with a lot of patience, not too pushy and is not afraid to show their appreciation when all is said and done?

Edit: Oh, and I would appreciate it if nobody hijacked this thread this time, and I could give a $h!t about the location of Asian grocery stores, thanks.

Also, if you can't think of any good ones, tell me about the bad ones - that would be just as helpful.
I guess that you have had to look at neighborhoods by now and have an idea of which one you would like to live in? If so, drive around and see who has the most signs up. Recommending an agent from Kanata does not really help you if you want to live in Orleans or even Barrhaven. Agents all claim know the city but the person from the east end does not know which houses were flooded because of sewer back ups in Kanata, and vice versa by the way.
Besides, you can have as many agents as you wish working for you, you are the buyer. Just make sure you don't sign any kind of exclusivity document. Look at the newspaper and pick one in each area.
Also, just exactly do you mean by "is not afraid to show their appreciation when all is said and done?", you mean some sort of kickback?

[houska]

We had great experience this summer with Marty Gaudet (from the Morris Team - just google them). Patiently showed us a large number of homes, did not push us. He's a civil engineer and pointed out things in houses that were wrong as well as well done (we were buying century old homes). Gave good advice when bidding, including not to overbid on the 1st house (that we didn't get - other guys paid 5% more) and bidding strategy on the 2nd (that we did get and love).

Not sure what you mean about showing appreciation after the sale. If you mean calling you a few times to see how things are, and giving good recommendations for tradesmen several months after closing, then yes. If you mean giving you a kickback from his commission, we would not have dreamed of trying that. In my opinion, either you want someone cut-rate who will just be your permission-to-play at the mls game, and then maybe then it's an option, but don't expect good service beyond the bare minimum. Or you want someone to actually be a good buyer's agent, and then the compensation they get is quite fair.

[1yellowdog]

Barbara Morelli and Michel Dagher with Coldwell Banker are a great team. I have used them twice now. Barbara is very patient taking you around as many houses as needed. She's very kind and will give her honest opinion when asked. Michel negotiates and he's VERY good. He's got me a house that I never thought I could afford because he was quite aggressive in negotiating the price down and he's sold 2 houses for a lot more than I ever thought they would sell at. They work all over the city of Ottawa and don't limit themselves to one specific area.

[canabiz]

Right now T&T is the proposed anchor tenant for a new plaza at Hunt Club and Riverside.

Do you know the expected date of opening ?

To the OP, i can recommend Elaine MacLean, good service and professional throughout

http://www.soldonhomes.ca/Contact_Me/page_2014858.html

[Brandon]

Do you know the expected date of opening ?


It's FINALLY under construction now. :)

[sockboy]

Does a city like Edmonton have a significantly higher Asian population then Ottawa?

As someone who has lived in both cities, I would say yes, definitely. It would be interesting to get the stats though.

edited to add: according to 2001 cencus, Ottawa has approx 41k asians, and Edmonton 85k. I excluded Filipino's in these numbers (perhaps unfairly for T&T's market), if you include them, add 5k to Ottawa, and 14k to Edmonton, making the difference even greater. Also, Edmonton is shown as having 100k less citizens, so the percent of the population is much higher.
see http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo53e-eng.htm

[way22go]

I heard from my friend that TNT has started building a store in Ottawa and they just finished the foundation .. anyone know where about .. may be I will think of getting a job there since there is no good quality Asian grocery like TNT :razz:

[Brandon]

I heard from my friend that TNT has started building a store in Ottawa and they just finished the foundation .. anyone know where about .. may be I will think of getting a job there since there is no good quality Asian grocery like TNT :razz:

It's in the South Keys area @ Riverside Dr and Hunt Club.

[snider]

Wow, a Barrahven/Kanata battle from 2007. I'd be interested to hear ppl's points of views now.

In my opinion, Barrhaven has now greatly surpassed Kanata for the place to be. Let's see, Kanata is no longer the high-tech mecca, actually there is no more high-tech mecca lol. The carp dump is also fouling up a good portion of Kanata. Traffic to/from Kanata is still ridiculous as it's always been as proven during the OC Transpo strike.

Barrhaven on the other hand is getting a nearby T&T supermarket at Riverside/Hunt Club, getting the humongous Strandherd bridge which crosses over to Riverside drive. The RCMP starting to move into their headquarters, tons of new homes being built.

Last year when I bought my house in Barrhaven it was already worth 10-20k more than the comparable house in Kanata. The exact model of Mattamy homes were 15K more in Barrhaven than Kanata, even commercial real-estate is more expensive in Barrhaven and a lot newer. The crime rate is very low in Barrhaven despite the reputation which seem to hover around a small area of "Old Barrhaven" where there was the kidnap/murder incident from years ago. I feel perfectly safe where I am, and the noise from the airplanes is not even a factor It probably affects me not even 1% of the time, in fact I've barely even noticed it over the 1.5 years that I've been here.

[canabiz]

Not to downplay Kanata because it also has some strengths as well but to add to the previous poster's opinion on Barrhaven, here is 1 more piece of *positive* news about this neighbourhood

- Civic Hospital is slated to be relocated to Woodroffe/Hunt Club in a few years' time. The older folks like to live close to the hospitals (and rightly so), i won't be surprised to see the property values going up again...

I am glad to have settled in Barrhaven, it's a great 'hood...just wishing there would be more restaurants in the area.

[snider]

Wow, that's where I live I had no idea of those plans of the Civic Hopital moving there.

I really like Barrhaven and everything but due to uncontrollable circumstances I may be forced to relocate, I'm thinking of the Central Park area behind Clyde/Baseline where a huge shopping complex will be built. To me, Central Park is really centralized, not too far from anywhere in the city.

[canabiz]

Wow, that's where I live I had no idea of those plans of the Civic Hopital moving there.

I really like Barrhaven and everything but due to uncontrollable circumstances I may be forced to relocate, I'm thinking of the Central Park area behind Clyde/Baseline where a huge shopping complex will be built. To me, Central Park is really centralized, not too far from anywhere in the city.

snider, Central Park is pretty good as well but I have heard some private rumblings that it's a bit too close to the housing projects around the Kirkwood areas. There has been some violence/problems in the past, I don't have a problem living close to said projects from a moral and personal perspective but I wonder if the property value may take a hit ?

[monty613]

Wow, that's where I live I had no idea of those plans of the Civic Hopital moving there.

I really like Barrhaven and everything but due to uncontrollable circumstances I may be forced to relocate, I'm thinking of the Central Park area behind Clyde/Baseline where a huge shopping complex will be built. To me, Central Park is really centralized, not too far from anywhere in the city.

the houses there are nice and it's very central. however, have you driven down that stretch of merivale? it's a very bad neighborhood.

take a look in Centrepointe for something similar. same area of the city - it's close to College Square and only a few minutes from Clyde/Merivale.

[snider]

Good points guys. I guess that's why there are only 2 areas left in Central Park, that is the ones on Merivale near Caldwell ave. and the Village which is near the Kirkwood housing projects.

I'm leaning towards the Clyde/Kirkwood side, which will be right behind the huge shopping complex they're building where Laurentian HS is, equipped with a Walmart etc.

I don't mind the busyness, would be nice to be able to do your groceries within walking distance. I've also looked at Centrepointe and they seem a bit pricier but I agree, less housing complexes around there.

[exiledinottawa]

Thanks guys,
It is a single family home we would be looking for.
I guess a better question might be which areas to avoid?
we will most likely be looking for ~$3-350,000 now.
Transit will not necessarily be an issue for us.

The only place in Ottawa to live is the Glebe imo, the west end is full of gangs and undesirables. And Orleans is pretty far from everything, the east end has alot of crime and older houses but would be cheaper as far as buying. Stay away from the market for sure.

But since you are looking for some specifics, I'd suggest Bells Corners, Barrhaven is a growing area but out of the way plus getting a reputation for crime. As for low traffic areas, you are SOL there, this city was not built very well for traffic

Biggest crime happening in Barrhaven is jaywalking...I saw the 80 year old perpetrator myself with my own eyes :D

Yes I'm sure the family of Jennifer Teague would disagree with your smart ass comment

[exiledinottawa]

Wow, that's where I live I had no idea of those plans of the Civic Hopital moving there.

I really like Barrhaven and everything but due to uncontrollable circumstances I may be forced to relocate, I'm thinking of the Central Park area behind Clyde/Baseline where a huge shopping complex will be built. To me, Central Park is really centralized, not too far from anywhere in the city.

The reason you haven't heard it is because it's totally untrue, the Civic will be sold and the General and Queensway will be expanded. The merge between Civic and the Gen started about 6 years ago

[mself084]

The only place in Ottawa to live is the Glebe imo, the west end is full of gangs and undesirables. And Orleans is pretty far from everything, the east end has alot of crime and older houses but would be cheaper as far as buying. Stay away from the market for sure.

Well, not many people can afford a $500-800,000 old house with really high property taxes...

I'd live in any of these places:

Kanata, Stittsville, Centrepointe - West
Rockliffe, New Edinburgh - East
Glebe, Market (condo only) - downtown/south
Barrhaven - south west
Riverside south - south
Orleans - east

I'd stay away from:

Bayshore area (the mall is OK, but i wouldnt want to live within a few km's of it)
South end (east of bank st in particular)
Vanier (getting better, but still a long ways off)

Ottawa is a beautiful city... stay away from those 3 areas and you'll love it :)

[fajer]

Wow, a Barrahven/Kanata battle from 2007. I'd be interested to hear ppl's points of views now.

In my opinion, Barrhaven has now greatly surpassed Kanata for the place to be. Let's see, Kanata is no longer the high-tech mecca, actually there is no more high-tech mecca lol. The carp dump is also fouling up a good portion of Kanata. Traffic to/from Kanata is still ridiculous as it's always been as proven during the OC Transpo strike.

Barrhaven on the other hand is getting a nearby T&T supermarket at Riverside/Hunt Club, getting the humongous Strandherd bridge which crosses over to Riverside drive. The RCMP starting to move into their headquarters, tons of new homes being built.

Last year when I bought my house in Barrhaven it was already worth 10-20k more than the comparable house in Kanata. The exact model of Mattamy homes were 15K more in Barrhaven than Kanata, even commercial real-estate is more expensive in Barrhaven and a lot newer. The crime rate is very low in Barrhaven despite the reputation which seem to hover around a small area of "Old Barrhaven" where there was the kidnap/murder incident from years ago. I feel perfectly safe where I am, and the noise from the airplanes is not even a factor It probably affects me not even 1% of the time, in fact I've barely even noticed it over the 1.5 years that I've been here.

Wow - are you part of the Bore/Farhaven booster club?

How's traffic
Do you have any recreation trails
Lots of low lying flat flooded land with leda clay
Low flying planes

[fajer]

Just bought a house in Barrhaven yesterday

RCMP is moving its HQ here in a couple of years, T&T Chinese Supermarket is slated to open soon...keeping my fingers crossed that resale value will be OK in a couple of years, it's all about the Benjamins my friend

Only 1 *real* way to get to downtown if you live in Kanata (417), well you can get through the inside streets via HuntClub and Richmond but I digress. Stittsville is too far for us and there's the Carp Dump that i haven't even touched

The other side of town is Orleans, no real opinion there other than it's closer to MTL than Toronto ;-)

How do you get from Borehaven to downtown then?

I'll tell you by using slow residential streets or the 416/417...LOL

[fajer]

Won't help if there's an accident in the morning at Parkdale.

This also affect Barrhaven commuters, let me guess you work for the City's transportation division...LOL

[Brandon]

Wow - are you part of the Bore/Farhaven booster club?

How's traffic
Do you have any recreation trails
Lots of low lying flat flooded land with leda clay
Low flying planes

Traffic for me is good. It takes me 30 minutes to drive downtown to Rideau Centre from my house in Barrhaven in the morning. I leave at 8:30am and get to work at 9am.

There are a bunch of paved bike paths where I live, and sometimes we take the dog to Bruce Pit.

Living under the flightpath of airplanes sucks, but I'm used to it now. One thing that sucks is the proximity to shopping malls. There is good regular shopping in the area (CT, Loblaws, Chapters, Staples, movie theatre, Walmart, etc), but there is no real mall that's close. As well, there are restaurants, but when we eat out, we normally leave Barrhaven and go elsewhere.

[fajer]

Traffic for me is good. It takes me 30 minutes to drive downtown to Rideau Centre from my house in Barrhaven in the morning. I leave at 8:30am and get to work at 9am.

There are a bunch of paved bike paths where I live, and sometimes we take the dog to Bruce Pit.

Living under the flightpath of airplanes sucks, but I'm used to it now. One thing that sucks is the proximity to shopping malls. There is good regular shopping in the area (CT, Loblaws, Chapters, Staples, movie theatre, Walmart, etc), but there is no real mall that's close. As well, there are restaurants, but when we eat out, we normally leave Barrhaven and go elsewhere.

So its no different for Kanata residnets then, right?

It takes virtually the same amount of time to travel 17km Barrhaven to Rideau Center - Kanata to Rideau 20km.

[Brandon]

How do you get from Borehaven to downtown then?

I'll tell you by using slow residential streets or the 416/417...LOL

So its no different for Kanata residnets then, right?

It takes virtually the same amount of time to travel 17km Barrhaven to Rideau Center - Kanata to Rideau 20km.

How's the drive during rush hour? The only time it takes me longer than 30 minutes is when weather is bad (heavy snow = 1hr drive).

[SAN66]

I've lived in both Kanata and Barrhaven, they're pretty comparable.

I don't see where either get a stigma of crime, every part of the city has experienced some element of crime. I've personally experienced allot more crime when I lived downtown.

I've found several routes that get me downtown fairly quickly from Barrhaven, in pretty much the same amount of time as from Kanata.

The main difference is, these not being highway routes, when there is snow or rain or something, the time it takes is ridiculously longer.

In Kanata my trip to work that would take a half hour would take about an hour in a snowstorm, in barrhaven my trip that takes ten minutes takes an hour.

I haven't had to take the bus from barrhaven, but looking at the routes, Barrhaven is definitely not as accessible as Kanata by bus.

Other than the above, I haven't experienced much difference between Kanata and Barrhaven.

[snider]

I usually bus to work, 1 bus, the 77 goes from the front of my house all the way to the Rideau Centre but when I do drive there are many ways which I could go, Woodroffe to the Queensway, Prince of Wales to Col By Drive, Hunt Club to Bank then Riverside. The new Strandherd bridge will also give us an extra route. Like I said earlier, I have no problems with planes in my area, very little complaints. As for quality restaurants, I try not to eat out too much so not a big issue for me.

[canabiz]

How do you get from Borehaven to downtown then?

I'll tell you by using slow residential streets or the 416/417...LOL

This thread is not about bashing different neighbourhoods. We can state facts and let people decide where the best place is for them to live.

I use either Greenbank, Woodroffe, Prince of Wales or Merivale or get on the 417 at Cedarview. It usually takes me about half an hour to get to Chinatown from Barrhaven, taking Prince of Wales through Dow's Lake.

I work in Bells Corners so going downtown doesn't make much of a difference for me. I sense that you are a Kanata resident and there is no reason to get frustrated.

[monty613]

The only place in Ottawa to live is the Glebe imo, the west end is full of gangs and undesirables.


Yeah...watch out for those gangs of yuppies in Westboro :cheesygri

[monty613]

anyhow we just bought a place in Bel Air Heights. we rent in the area now and like the proximity to the Queensway and Baseline Station, not the mention the amenties of College Square and stores along Clyde/Merivale.

we found Barrhaven/Kanata/Stittsville too far away, but at the same time we didn't want to break the bank for a home in places like New Edinburgh or Westboro. it was a good compromise.

our house looks onto a park (no neighbors across the street) and is close to the NCC bikepath. it's a Campeau bungalow from 1961, but has had the kitchen and basement reno'd. the only concession i had to make was a carport instead of a garage.

little nervous about buying an old home - but overall i'm pretty happy with the location.

[Smoothie]

What's the best route from Stonebridge area to downtown, Queen/Lyon intersection. I would like to arrive at 8:30am.

Any suggestions? Anyone do something similar?
Thanks!!

[fajer]

How's the drive during rush hour? The only time it takes me longer than 30 minutes is when weather is bad (heavy snow = 1hr drive).

its the same bloody time - give or take a few minutes.

who cares anyways.

[CaptSmethwick]

I've lived in Ottawa over 40 years (lived in BC for a while way back...): 5 years in Woodroofe/Hunt Club area (of course, Hunt Club wasn't there in those days), a year in Westboro, 2 near Baseline and Greenbank, 18 years in the Glebe, and the last 18 in rural Manotick.

As frequent visitors to all of the neighbourhoods discussed here, we find Kanata, Barrhaven, and Orleans to be quite similar and are somewhat confused by neighbourhood boosterism we hear. Your choice of neighbourhood depends on what you're looking for but, as an outsider to these neighbourhoods, they appear to offer similar attributes. That being said, I'd give credence to the views of anybody who has spent a reasonable period of time living in all of these neighbourhoods within the last decade.

I can say this about living in Kanata and Stittsville, if you're forced to commute via the 417, there will be days you will be driving into work directly into a sunrise and home into sunsets. Not a big deal for some but I hate it - it was one of the considerations when we checked out places in Stittsville 18 years ago. Nice homes and nice looking neighbourhoods (IIRC, we shortlisted homes on both Hobin and Elm) but the North-South commute to Manotick sold us. Still, there were attributes about Stittsville I really liked - particularly the ability to walk to Main St.

What's the best route from Stonebridge area to downtown, Queen/Lyon intersection. I would like to arrive at 8:30am.

Any suggestions? Anyone do something similar?
Thanks!!

Depends on where you are precisely. If you're closer to Greenbank, it might make sense to do either the 416-QW or the GB-QW dance whereas if you're closer to Prince of Wales, POW-Hunt Club-Riverside-Bronson might be "better". On the whole, there shouldn't be too much difference between them - it'll depend on weather, accidents, construction, etc. The good news is that you have choices.

[Brandon]

To sum it up, Barrhaven to me is a good place to live. It has most brands of major grocery stores and some big retailers (CT, Walmart, Staples, etc). The neighbourhoods feel safe (the newer areas at least, I guess this is relative as well), and there are tons of young families. Because of this demographic, it's quiet at night.

What's bad is that there isn't much to do locally in Barrhaven. The restaurant and entertainment selection is pretty poor. Don't get me wrong, there are restaurants and a movie theatre, but I find that when I choose to go out I leave Barrhaven and go to other areas of the city.

You definitely need a car if you choose to live in Barrhaven vs more central areas. If you're a student, it takes forever to get to Carleton (1-1.5hrs... lots of waiting around since the bus transfer times don't work well) and a long time to OttawaU (1hr). If you know you'll take the bus, try and live near Fallowfield station or Barrhaven Crossing. Those are serviced directly by the 95 (which comes frequently). Depending on the 17x routes can be a crapshoot, but the 7x express buses in the morning are pretty good.

[fajer]

To sum it up, Barrhaven to me is a good place to live. It has most brands of major grocery stores and some big retailers (CT, Walmart, Staples, etc). The neighbourhoods feel safe (the newer areas at least, I guess this is relative as well), and there are tons of young families. Because of this demographic, it's quiet at night.

What's bad is that there isn't much to do locally in Barrhaven. The restaurant and entertainment selection is pretty poor. Don't get me wrong, there are restaurants and a movie theatre, but I find that when I choose to go out I leave Barrhaven and go to other areas of the city.

You definitely need a car if you choose to live in Barrhaven vs more central areas. If you're a student, it takes forever to get to Carleton (1-1.5hrs... lots of waiting around since the bus transfer times don't work well) and a long time to OttawaU (1hr). If you know you'll take the bus, try and live near Fallowfield station or Barrhaven Crossing. Those are serviced directly by the 95 (which comes frequently). Depending on the 17x routes can be a crapshoot, but the 7x express buses in the morning are pretty good.

Buddy - this can be said of Orleans Kanata and Borehaven.

[mself084]

Buddy - this can be said of Orleans Kanata and Borehaven.

What's your problem, anyways? Honestly, most suburban neighbourhoods are the same...quit trying to pick fights. sheesh.

[chadjustine]

There is also the option of living on the Quebec side, ya know?

Sure the taxes are a bit higher (I believe) but for the same 300K, the house you can get in Gatineau is probably bigger than what you can likely get in Ottawa.

Depending on where you work, traffic/commuting time might not be any worse either. If you work near the downtown core/market area, it will be no more travelling time from Kanata/Barrhaven than it would be from Gatineau. In fact, Id say its problably less.

Just food for thought.

[e909]

I'm moving to Ottawa soon and renting a house near the pinecrest shopping center in nepean.

is this a bad area or anything?

[monty613]

I'm moving to Ottawa soon and renting a house near the pinecrest shopping center in nepean.

is this a bad area or anything?

what street?

there's some less-than-desirable streets like Monterey Drive and Morrison Drive with low(er) income housing and rentals around Baseline/Greenbank. but there are also some really nice older homes (bordered by Pinecrest, Iris, Baseline, and Cobden). we actually thought about buying there but ended up getting a place in another neighborhood in the same general area of the city.

we bought here because of the quick access to the Queensway, proximity to public transit, and lots of amenties (College Square, Clyde/Merivale Road). it's also pretty quiet and there's lots of greenspace.

PM me if you have any questions about the neighborhood...

[Pete_Coach]

Buddy - this can be said of Orleans Kanata and Borehaven.

What's your problem, anyways? Honestly, most suburban neighbourhoods are the same...quit trying to pick fights. sheesh.
Gosh, you need to mellow out yourself, mself.
fajer was commenting on a post and saying that the poster could be speaking of any neighborhood. He is right.
You must be from Borehaven???? You are way too sensitive, geez.:rolleyes:

[Swaps]

To throw my 2 cents in, I couldn't really imagine living anywhere in Ottawa outside of the downtown core, market, Edinburgh/Vanier, etc.

Not being snobby or anything, but the problem with Ottawa is that all the suburbs are WAY far away.

I can appreciate the idea behind having a greenbelt, but IMHO all it does is multiply the problems typically exemplified by suburbia by increasing the distance between the suburbs and downtown, increasing traffic congestion, fossil fuel emmissions, etc.

And in all honesty, they really all do look and feel identical.

[CaptSmethwick]

To throw my 2 cents in, I couldn't really imagine living anywhere in Ottawa outside of the downtown core, market, Edinburgh/Vanier, etc.

Not being snobby or anything, but the problem with Ottawa is that all the suburbs are WAY far away.

I can appreciate the idea behind having a greenbelt, but IMHO all it does is multiply the problems typically exemplified by suburbia by increasing the distance between the suburbs and downtown, increasing traffic congestion, fossil fuel emmissions, etc.

And in all honesty, they really all do look and feel identical.

I agree on part of that - Westboro, Crystal Bay, Brittania, Whitehaven, Manor Park, and certain enclaves of Beacon Hill and Alta Vista are nice neighbourhoods with a lot of character and they are not that far away (from what, pray tell - from where you want to be?). Further afield, villages like Greely, Metcalfe, Stittsville, Manotick, and Russell are nice places to live.

While I agree on the distance and congestion/fossil fuels argument, we have to keep in mind that a 30 minute commute (which is what we mostly have here in Ottawa) would be a very attractive thing for most who live and work in Toronto, Vancouver, or virtually any major North American city.

[JohnB]

To throw my 2 cents in, I couldn't really imagine living anywhere in Ottawa outside of the downtown core, market, Edinburgh/Vanier, etc.


Why would you want to ever live in Vanier? Its a giant slum full of crime, drugs, and prostitutes, the worst dumpiest place in Ottawa for sure...

[mself084]

Gosh, you need to mellow out yourself, mself.
fajer was commenting on a post and saying that the poster could be speaking of any neighborhood. He is right.
You must be from Borehaven???? You are way too sensitive, geez.:rolleyes:

I'm hoping the rollseyes icon was meant to indicate sarcasm... If not, check out the rest of fajers posts in this thread and you'll see why I think he's just trying to pick fights...and no I've never lived in barrhaven.

To the poster above, vanier is dumpy but it's getting better. I wouldn't live there yet, maybe in 5-10 years.

[monty613]

To throw my 2 cents in, I couldn't really imagine living anywhere in Ottawa outside of the downtown core, market, Edinburgh/Vanier, etc.


nice areas, but try buying a nice single home in any of those neighborhoods. i think that's what drives a lot of people to kanata/barrhaven/orleans, especially for their first homes. i couldn't bear to live in suburbia, and couldn't afford to live in the Glebe so i was forced to settle somewhere in between :lol:

[SAN66]

nice areas, but try buying a nice single home in any of those neighborhoods. i think that's what drives a lot of people to kanata/barrhaven/orleans, especially for their first homes. i couldn't bear to live in suburbia, and couldn't afford to live in the Glebe so i was forced to settle somewhere in between :lol:

+1 If you live downtown:

1) You're rich
2) You're renting
3) You're living in a tiny one bedroom/bachelor condo

I would have loved to buy my first place downtown, but the best place I found was some 2 bedroom 250k condos off Wellington(Should have jumped on that, all the units sold in a week) and searching for anything freehold downtown, there's no such thing until you hit the 500k mark.

[sockboy]

+1 If you live downtown:

1) You're rich
2) You're renting
3) You're living in a tiny one bedroom/bachelor condo

I would have loved to buy my first place downtown, but the best place I found was some 2 bedroom 250k condos off Wellington(Should have jumped on that, all the units sold in a week) and searching for anything freehold downtown, there's no such thing until you hit the 500k mark.

Well I am none of the above, and I live downtown. Ottawa isn't close to that expensive. You can do VERY well for 400k. We searched entirely within the core (New Edinburgh in the East to Westboro in the West and south to Old Ottawa South), and ended up buying a freehold townhouse for under 300k (2 years ago). We definitely had to sacrifice on space vs the suburbs, and our place is 100 years old, but we aren't stuck in the 'burbs.

[SAN66]

Well I am none of the above, and I live downtown. Ottawa isn't close to that expensive. You can do VERY well for 400k. We searched entirely within the core (New Edinburgh in the East to Westboro in the West and south to Old Ottawa South), and ended up buying a freehold townhouse for under 300k (2 years ago). We definitely had to sacrifice on space vs the suburbs, and our place is 100 years old, but we aren't stuck in the 'burbs.

Sorry should have added.

4) Your home is very old (which can be good or bad depending on maintenance)

For a first home its near impossible to afford a place downtown. 400k is not in the price range for pretty much any first home buyer.

It wasn't always that way and may drop again. about 8 years ago my parents got a new (90's built) freehold small 2 bedroom downtown for 180k. Last I checked they were selling for 320k now. Theres certain areas that used to be junky that are improving where you can get a nice place for a decent price. Just up from the Glebe - Arlington/Bell St area, Hintonburg, Chinatown etc.

[sockboy]

I agree 400k is a lot for a first time home buyer - but it is 100k less than the 500k you mentioned. Decent places can be had for around 300k if you are patient like we were. If you have to have a new build, then you are right, downtown is VERY expensive. If you aren't willing to buy in an "up and coming area" you'll have to be willing to do some work. But it is all a matter of priorities, right? What are you willing to trade to avoid living in the burbs? For us, the burbs were simply not an option.

I wouldn't consider Bell myself - still pretty sketchy . . .

[south_of_cbd]

Just to let all the folks here that want to know when T&T is opening, I went to check it out yesterday and talked to the security guard there and he said it's opening on Oct. 28. The outside of the building is complete, only missing the name. It has alot of green and glass.
http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz229/south_island_park/th_tt002.jpg http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz229/south_island_park/th_tt001.jpg http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz229/south_island_park/th_tt003.jpg